InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of Ever After ❯ Chapter 137

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

 

I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters created by Rumiko Takahashi


Chapter 136

Grabbing his sword and his jacket on the way out of the temple area, InuYasha followed Miroku towards the village. For a while, the only sound Miroku made as he headed down the hill was the jingle his staff made. InuYasha watched him, looking lost in thought, and decided, as they passed beyond the monk’s house not to say anything until his friend was ready to talk.

As they neared the main road into the village, the monk stopped, and looked at the hanyou. “You didn’t have to come, you know.”

“Feh,” InuYasha said. “You didn’t think I’d stay away after a message like that, did you? Besides, like I said up on the hill, Kagome’s there, too, and knowing her, anything that’d get Sango that tied up in knots is enough to have her ready to explode, too. You remember that time she shot Naraku and blew him into chunks, don’t you?”

Miroku gave the hanyou a small, not very enthusiastic chuckle. “Yes, Kagome can pack a real punch with her temper with the proper motivation.”

“I ate enough dirt learning that one,” the hanyou said. Miroku chuckled again, a bit more honestly as they began walking again.

“But,” the monk said as they moved down the road, “what I want to know is what could Chiya have done to get Sango upset enough that Hisa-sama would send for me?”

“Don’t know,” InuYasha said. “But even you must have picked up the fact that there was some bad blood between Sango and her. Don’t know what it’s all about, but remember when she caught you eavesdropping, how she came after you for spending time with Chiya?”

Miroku sighed. “I saw that, but I don’t know what triggered it. She knew I was going, and why. But I’ve never done anything untoward with that woman, even before Sango and I wed.”

“Doesn’t mean she can’t feel uneasy,” InuYasha said.  

“Sango, my lovely wife, has always been a bit uncertain about me.” Miroku shrugged. “But she usually lets me know she’s feeling like this.”

“Uncertain? I think she was pretty well certain about how you behaved. You earned it, Bouzu,” the hanyou said, “with some of the stunts you pulled in the past. But maybe this doesn’t have anything to do with you, really. Might be a woman thing.”

“Those days are done, and you know it,” Miroku said. “A woman thing?”

“Feh,” InuYasha said, crossing his arms. “Don’t act stupid, Bouzu. A woman thing. The type of stuff they do that doesn’t involve men at all. Stuff they talk about when it’s just them. I know Kagome and Sango do the woman thing a lot, but it’s good stuff. Doubt that’s true with a bitch like Chiya.”

“That woman thing,” Miroku said, nodding. “You may be right. Sango always was a little shy around other women. But she doesn’t tell me much.”

As they passed Kaede’s house, Maki, the wife of Ryota saw them, hurried over and bowed. “Ah, Houshi-sama, how goes the work this afternoon?” she asked. “Are the men done yet?”

Miroku returned her bow, and gave her an apologetic look. “Ah, not yet, Maki-sama. Your husband is busy telling everybody just what to do, and it’s working, but they’re not quite done. Something came up, and I...I had to run an errand.”

She gave him a large smile. “No doubt, then, he’ll come home in a rather good mood. He does like to make sure everything goes well.”

“Keh,” InuYasha said, grinning. “He seemed to be having a good time.”

“Especially when you fell off the roof,” Miroku said, giving his friend an amused, but biting glance.

“Feh.” The hanyou shrugged. “I think he’s right. Roofing work doesn’t like me.”

“You fell off the roof?” Maki asked, a little shocked. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It takes more than a little fall like that to hurt a person like me.” He gave Miroku a look that was much more biting than the one he received from his friend, and stuffed his hands further into his sleeves.

“Nothing bruised but his pride,” the monk said, ignoring InuYasha’s glare.

“Well, if everything’s all right, I’ll leave you two to take care of your errand,” Maki said, then bowing once more, walked off.

“One day, Bouzu,” InuYasha muttered, “you’re going to have to help me figure out why I don’t toss you across a field like I do Shippou.”

“Because Kagome-sama would be unhappy if you did?” the monk said.

“Feh,” the hanyou said. “One day, I just might not care.”


Back up on the hill, Daitaro passed his flask to Tsuneo. “Sorry this happened to you today, old friend,” the farmer said. “You’re having a really bad run of luck. Have a drink.”

Tsuneo nodded and took the sake bottle from Daitaro. “You’re having to offer me drinks too often here lately. We need to stop that.” He took a deep swallow.

“Do you think I ought to go down to the village to see what’s up?” Susumu asked.

“I think you probably need to get back to work,” Ryota said, giving the village guard a knowing smirk, “if you want my opinion. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and if we want to get it done before dark, we need to get on it.”

Tameo patted his son on the back. “He’s got a point, son. It’s not like we’re expecting trouble, no matter why your okaasan sent for Miroku. InuYasha’s with him, and besides, Jun and a few others are down there.”

The village guard gave a nod.

“Come on,” Eiji said. “Let’s get it done. It’s my turn at the night watch, and I’d like everybody to be home and calmed down before it all gets too dark. Maybe with all the young men tired out, it’ll be an easy night.”

“You should be glad you’re on the watch tonight,” Daitaro said. “With your house guest, you’ve got plenty of time to stay out of the way.”

“True, true. Kimi-chan’s just too kind for her own good. Or maybe that’s mine,” Eiji said, giving the men a wry smile. “But she and Chiya can have plenty of time to talk it out before I have to deal with it.” He gave Susumu’s sleeve a little tug. “Coming?”

Susumu let himself be pulled away.

Tsuneo handed the jug back to Daitaro. He offered it to Tameo, who took it, and took a tiny sip.

“You know,” the old farmer said as he watched Tameo drink, “I’m getting mighty curious about what’s going on down at your house, cousin.”

The village headman handed the jug back to Daitaro. “You’re not the only one.” He looked at Isao, who continued to stand there, not exactly sure of what to do. At the moment, the boy was looking down at his feet, drawing shapes with his toe in the dust. “Well, Isao-kun, you’ve delivered your message. Did Hisa-sama tell you what to do after you did that?”

“Not really,” Isao said. “She told me I should do whatever you or Susumu-sensei said I should do.”

“Well,” Tameo said, scratching under his chin, “I think we all should go home and see if she’s going to need any help.”

“But you told -” Isao said, surprised.

Daitaro snorted at Isao’s reaction. “Sounds good to me, too.” He turned towards Tsuneo. “What about you, old friend?”

Tsuneo, looking haggard and overwhelmed, shrugged. “I just want today to be over. All this has been too much for a man my age. And after your sake...”

“Lightweight.” Daitaro chuckled, and put the jug’s strap back over his head.

“I hear that,” Tameo said. “Walk back with us. We can discuss what we can do to help ease your burden. I have an idea or two that might help.”

Tsuneo looked at the two elders with the air of a man who has been beaten and was expecting more blows. “At this point, I don’t know if anything will help,” he said. “My son, my wife, my grandson, and that daughter of mine...”  

“You know that Michio just needs to let steam off,” Daitaro said, wrapping an arm around Tsuneo’s shoulders, “and gain some face back. How many times has he sent her home? Three?”

The old man shook his head sadly. “The fourth time. But he never was quite so angry before.”

“Eh,” Daitaro said, “he’ll get over it. He no more wants to get rid of Chiya than you do Haname.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tsuneo said, his voice signaling his uncertainty. “I’m glad she’s going to Kimi’s tonight. Maybe we can keep the news from my wife for a day or two. She doesn’t need this.”

“Agreed,” Tameo said. “Let’s get out of here. You too, Isao-kun.”

The three men began to walk, followed by the boy.  

“So what’s your plan about the yamabushi?” Daitaro asked.

“Well,” Tameo said, rubbing the back of his neck, “the kami did say he was supposed to be the responsibility of the whole village. I was thinking...”


Back at Hisa’s house, Sango looked at the headman’s wife as it dawned on her what she was saying - that Miroku was on the way to Hisa’s home.

“He really needs to know what’s going on,” Hisa repeated. “And there’s no time like today.”

“You...you sent for him?” Sango asked.

“I did indeed,” Hisa said, refilling Sango’s tea cup. “You shouldn’t have to deal with such a backbiting woman trying to tear your life up.”

“But...but...” Sango said. For some reason she began to blush a bit, and dropped her head down.  

“Hisa-obaasan is right,” Kagome said, patting her friend’s hand. “If I knew what she had been putting you through, I would have told him all about it already.”

“She’s been making your life hard here for how long now?” Koume asked.

Sango picked up her tea cup. “It’s been over two years.”

“Are you worried that he’ll think you’re being jealous?” Mariko asked.

“When...when we were on the quest, even after we were promised, sometimes he would flirt or worse,” Sango said. “I...I didn’t handle it calmly.”

Kagome, trying hard not to laugh, couldn’t quite keep it in. “Oh, you handled him just right, I think. I remember those days.”

“I seem to remember he was quite a handful,” Akiko said. “Always flirting with the younger women, and even occasionally turning an older woman into a giggling girl.”

“I remember one day...” Teruko said, smiling.

“Probably not the time to tell that story,” Hisako said. Teruko sighed and nodded.

“He was good at that,” Kagome said, nodding. “But Sango, that’s one of the reasons I think you were special to him. He liked that you got angry about it. I think it proved how much you thought of him.”

“Like a test?” Emi said.

“Exactly.” Kagome picked up her own tea. “And you passed that test with flying colors.”

“He...ever since the last battle, he’s never done that again,” Sango admitted. “We came so close to dying. For a while, when the shouki was so bad and his hand...the kazaana was close to killing him...everything else faded. All we wanted to do was die together. Afterwards, he never made me doubt him again.” She shivered a little, caught up in the memory, then sighed and shook her head. “I just didn’t want him to think I didn’t trust him.”

“I...I didn’t know that had happened to you,” Kagome said. “I was so busy trying to deal with what was happening to InuYasha, I didn’t know what happened when we got separated. And then...well you know what happened at the end.” She gave her friend’s hand another squeeze. “But that’s over, and now we have to deal with a different type of monster. Humans like Chiya are sometimes worse than fighting youkai. You can’t just take your weapons out and beat up on them.”

Sango nodded, and gave Kagome a small, tentative smile. “That’s so true.”

“This is one of those things that doesn’t have to do with trusting your husband, Sango-chan,” Hisa said, looking at her gently. “Women can be...cruel to each other, sometimes, without any men involved.” She took a deep breath. “For whatever her reasons, Chiya found your weak spot, and decided that you ought to be kept away from the rest of us. And I for one am not happy about how she and her circle did it.”

There was a nod of assent from the other women there.

“And things like this can fester if you don’t deal with them,” Chime said. “You need to let Houshi-sama know - not just for you, but for your daughters, too.”

There was a rattle of metal rings at the door, and all eyes turned to see what it was.

Miroku, frowning, stood in the doorway, with InuYasha right behind him. “Tell me what?”